For Release: Wednesday, January 20, 2016
SOUTHEAST INFORMATION OFFICE: Atlanta, Ga.
Technical information: (404) 893-4222 [email protected]
Media contact:
(404) 893-4220
16-135-ATL
www.bls.gov/regions/southeast
Consumer Price Index, South Region – December 2015
Prices down 0.4 percent over the month; up 0.5 percent over the year
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South decreased 0.4 percent in
December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The energy index declined 2.7 percent over
the month. The all items less food and energy, and food indexes were little changed in December, down 0.1
and 0.3 percent, respectively. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month
changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)
Over the last 12 months, the all items CPI-U rose 0.5 percent. The all items less food and energy index
advanced 2.0 percent over the year as several categories within this group recorded increases. (See chart 1.)
Food
The food index declined 0.3 percent in December. Prices for food at home decreased 0.7 percent over the
month, while those for food away from home inched up 0.1 percent.
Since December 2014, the food index advanced 0.8 percent, reflecting higher prices for food away from
home (2.6 percent). The food at home index declined 0.5 percent over the year.
Energy
The energy index decreased 2.7 percent in December, led by a 5.6-percent decline in motor fuel prices. The
electricity and utility (piped) gas service indexes also decreased over the month, down 0.3 and 0.8 percent,
respectively.
Over the year, energy prices fell 13.4 percent, reflecting a 22.6-percent drop in motor fuel prices. Prices for
electricity (-2.8 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (-11.2 percent) also declined over the year.
All items less food and energy
The all items less food and energy index inched down 0.1 percent in December. A seasonal decline in
apparel prices (-4.7 percent), was partially offset by an increase in prices for shelter (0.1 percent) over the
month.
Since December 2014, the all items less food and energy index advanced 2.0 percent as several indexes
recorded increases, most notably shelter (3.0 percent). Medical care, led by increases in both medical care
services (2.7 percent) and medical care commodities (2.8 percent), rose 2.7 percent over the year. Other
indexes with over-the-year increases included education and communication (1.9 percent) and other goods
and services (1.6 percent).
Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally
adjusted
2011
Month
January..............................................
February ............................................
March ................................................
April ...................................................
May....................................................
June...................................................
July ....................................................
August ...............................................
September.........................................
October..............................................
November..........................................
December..........................................
1-month
0.5
0.5
1.2
0.7
0.5
-0.2
0.2
0.4
0.0
-0.2
0.0
-0.2
2012
12month
1.7
2.2
2.8
3.4
4.0
3.8
4.1
4.3
4.1
3.7
3.8
3.3
1-month
2013
12month
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.4
-0.4
-0.2
-0.2
0.6
0.5
-0.2
-0.5
-0.1
1-month
3.2
3.3
2.8
2.5
1.6
1.7
1.4
1.6
2.1
2.1
1.6
1.7
0.4
0.9
0.3
-0.2
0.0
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.0
-0.2
-0.3
0.1
2014
12month
1.6
1.8
1.5
0.9
1.3
1.9
2.2
1.7
1.3
1.3
1.5
1.8
1-month
0.3
0.4
0.6
0.5
0.2
0.2
-0.1
-0.2
0.1
-0.3
-0.6
-0.6
2015
12month
1.7
1.2
1.5
2.3
2.4
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.3
0.6
1-month
12month
-0.7
0.5
0.6
0.3
0.4
0.5
-0.1
-0.2
-0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.4
-0.3
-0.3
-0.6
-0.4
-0.1
-0.1
-0.2
-0.4
-0.1
0.3
0.5
The Consumer Price Index for January 2016 is scheduled to be released on Friday, February 19,
2016.
Technical Note
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market
basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1)
a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 89 percent of the total population and
(2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 percent of the total
population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as
professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed,
and retirees and others not in the labor force.
2
The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and
dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each
month, prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and
approximately 24,000 retail establishments—department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and
other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of
items are included in the index.
The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An
increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as
follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in
1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the
BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at https://
www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.
In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with
weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are
then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local
area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In
addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater
volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do
not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in
prices for each area since the base period.
The South region is comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice
phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
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Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected
periods South (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Indexes
Item and Group
Oct.
2015
Nov.
2015
Percent change fromDec.
2015
Dec.
2014
Oct.
2015
Nov.
2015
Expenditure category
All Items...........................................................
All items (December 1977=100)......................
Food and beverages ....................................
Food .........................................................
Food at home .......................................
Food away from home..........................
Alcoholic beverages .................................
Housing ........................................................
Shelter ......................................................
230.860
374.487
247.559
249.050
242.704
261.397
226.136
222.701
253.160
230.422
373.776
246.957
248.396
241.401
261.693
226.257
222.564
253.487
229.581
372.412
246.125
247.543
239.762
261.992
225.705
222.710
253.815
0.5
0.8
0.8
-0.5
2.6
0.8
1.9
3.0
-0.6
-0.6
-0.6
-1.2
0.2
-0.2
0.0
0.3
-0.4
-0.3
-0.3
-0.7
0.1
-0.2
0.1
0.1
Rent of primary residence (1) ................
260.738
261.335
261.682
3.5
0.4
0.1
Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1) (2) .
255.561
256.092
256.398
2.8
0.3
0.1
Owners' equiv. rent of primary
residence (1) (2) ..................................
255.548
256.079
256.387
2.8
0.3
0.1
Fuels and utilities......................................
Household energy ................................
228.373
186.316
225.933
183.332
225.482
182.721
-2.4
-4.2
-1.3
-1.9
-0.2
-0.3
Energy services (1).............................
186.709
183.643
183.050
-3.9
-2.0
-0.3
Electricity (1) ...................................
186.767
183.295
182.834
-2.8
-2.1
-0.3
Utility (piped) gas service (1) ..........
170.886
170.711
169.306
-11.2
-0.9
-0.8
Household furnishings and operations .....
Apparel .........................................................
Transportation ..............................................
Private transportation ...............................
121.789
138.679
193.612
191.369
121.614
136.716
192.674
190.298
121.533
130.231
190.467
188.175
-0.5
-1.8
-4.6
-4.8
-0.2
-6.1
-1.6
-1.7
-0.1
-4.7
-1.1
-1.1
New and used motor vehicles (3) ..........
102.623
102.111
102.262
0.2
-0.4
0.1
New vehicles .....................................
152.584
152.539
153.011
-0.2
0.3
0.3
New cars and trucks (3) (4) .............
103.853
103.826
104.155
-0.2
0.3
0.3
New cars (4) ...................................
153.118
152.684
153.465
-0.8
0.2
0.5
Used cars and trucks.........................
Motor fuel .............................................
Gasoline (all types)............................
145.776
186.574
185.552
143.435
180.994
179.960
142.825
170.941
169.930
1.1
-22.6
-22.3
-2.0
-8.4
-8.4
-0.4
-5.6
-5.6
Unleaded regular (4).......................
181.117
175.445
165.316
-23.1
-8.7
-5.8
Unleaded midgrade (4) (5) ..............
204.210
199.105
189.665
-19.7
-7.1
-4.7
Unleaded premium (4) ....................
203.732
199.001
189.917
-17.6
-6.8
-4.6
Medical care .................................................
Medical care commodities........................
Medical care services...............................
Professional services ...........................
428.455
346.080
455.976
357.889
429.361
346.645
457.012
358.863
428.859
344.468
457.246
358.852
2.7
2.8
2.7
1.2
0.1
-0.5
0.3
0.3
-0.1
-0.6
0.1
0.0
Recreation (3) ................................................
115.958
115.582
115.861
0.3
-0.1
0.2
Education and communication (3) .................
137.002
137.092
137.064
1.9
0.0
0.0
Other goods and services ............................
410.318
409.946
410.087
1.6
-0.1
0.0
All Items...........................................................
Commodities ................................................
Commodities less food and beverages ....
Nondurables less food and beverages.
Nondurables less food, beverages,
and apparel .......................................
Durables ...............................................
Services........................................................
230.860
181.512
150.198
191.118
230.422
180.266
148.729
188.611
229.581
178.113
146.106
183.278
0.5
-2.7
-5.0
-7.4
-0.6
-1.9
-2.7
-4.1
-0.4
-1.2
-1.8
-2.8
224.198
221.338
216.563
-9.2
-3.4
-2.2
111.006
280.687
110.450
281.024
110.173
281.443
-1.4
2.6
-0.8
0.3
-0.3
0.1
Rent of shelter (2) ......................................
259.813
260.134
260.430
3.0
0.2
0.1
Commodity and service group
Note: See footnotes at end of table.
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Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected
periods South (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) - Continued
Indexes
Item and Group
Oct.
2015
Transportation services ............................
Other services ..........................................
Nov.
2015
Percent change fromDec.
2015
Dec.
2014
Oct.
2015
Nov.
2015
314.114
334.204
317.389
334.801
318.421
335.662
4.3
2.7
1.4
0.4
0.3
0.3
All items less medical care ..............................
All items less food ...........................................
All items less shelter........................................
Commodities less food ....................................
Nondurables ....................................................
Nondurables less food.....................................
Nondurables less food and apparel.................
219.953
227.832
223.279
152.553
217.990
192.866
223.245
219.462
227.427
222.521
151.122
216.361
190.506
220.651
218.616
226.589
221.191
148.549
213.102
185.442
216.256
0.3
0.4
-0.7
-4.8
-3.2
-6.9
-8.4
-0.6
-0.5
-0.9
-2.6
-2.2
-3.8
-3.1
-0.4
-0.4
-0.6
-1.7
-1.5
-2.7
-2.0
Services less rent of shelter (2) ........................
315.714
316.082
316.668
2.1
0.3
0.2
Services less medical care services................
Energy .............................................................
All items less energy .......................................
All items less food and energy .....................
Commodities less food and energy
commodities .............................................
Energy commodities.................................
Services less energy services ..................
264.730
182.677
236.990
235.281
265.019
178.574
236.962
235.362
265.440
173.686
236.573
235.053
2.6
-13.4
1.8
2.0
0.3
-4.9
-0.2
-0.1
0.2
-2.7
-0.2
-0.1
149.114
148.263
146.744
-0.9
-1.6
-1.0
190.061
290.545
184.518
291.268
174.457
291.800
-22.4
3.1
-8.2
0.4
-5.5
0.2
Special aggregate indexes
Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means
estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
- Data not available.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
5